The New York Rangers' salary structure is quite top-heavy, so both the Rangers' beat writers and those following the team from afar have suggested that the Rangers will have to use a cap-compliance buyout on either Rick Nash or Brad Richards.

The combination of Brad Richards' resurgence under Alain Vigneault (to the tune of 51 points for his Capgeek-listed $6.67 million cap hit) and Rick Nash's struggles (39 points in 63 games and a no-show come playoff time for a cap hit of $7.8 million) have those in the know suggesting that Nash is the odd man out.

This morning, the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson wonders where Nash's game went given that the 6'4," 213-pound winger's become a perimeter player in the first of three "Hockey World" columns:

Brent Sutter was seething behind the bench Sunday night after Jared Boll escaped with a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head on Alex Tanguay.

The video replay shows Boll delivered a blatant elbow to Tanguay’s face, knocking the Calgary forward out for the second period.

Already battling a chronic neck problem, Tanguay returned for the third period but was talking to the team doctor after the game and unavailable for comment.

“That’s an elbow,” Sutter said. “Tangs is going to hit him and he raises his elbow. . . That’s why I was disappointed to see that it was only a two-minute penalty out of it. It’s clear it’s right to his head.”

continue and watch the elbow from Boll below (scroll to the :44 second mark)...

Negotiations are ongoing, but there apparently are large differences in opinions when it comes to terms between the club and the player who posted 69 points in his return to the Flames last season.

“It’s money,” Feaster said Monday in a prelude to a hectic week that will involve discussions with and about his own pending restricted and unrestricted free agents, interviews for a head coach for the farm team, the expected hiring of an assistant GM and, of course, the weekend’s draft proceedings in St. Paul, Minn.

But the rest of the tasks at hand take a brief backseat when the name Tanguay is mentioned in a scrum with reporters.

They all chuckled at the moment of honesty from Feaster when addressing the disagreement with the left-winger who will no doubt earn a massive raise over the US$1.7 million he earned with the Flames last season after returning to form following a tough campaign with the Tampa Bay Lightning the previous campaign.

But the Flames don’t seem willing to cave on demands that may be too high for a team desperate to shed salary.

The 31-year-old setup man for Jarome Iginla headlines a list of seven Calgary players eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1. Tanguay has made it known how much he likes it in Calgary. He adores playing with Iginla.

But how much of a raise does one of the best pure passers in the game deserve after putting up 22 goals and 69 points?

Can the Flames, tight up against the salary cap, afford the asking price of a player so vital to their first line?

“We’re certainly having conversations with Alex’s agent right now — going back and forth on some ideas of how we might try to accomplish this,” Feaster said.

The Flames exacted tremendous value out of Tanguay last season at a bargain price of $1.7 million.

Upon further evaluation today by Flames head team physician Dr. Kelly Brett, it has been determined that Alex is suffering from a neck strain. It was erroneously reported by our organization as a concussion. His return to play status is day-to-day.

It’s fair to say Tim Thomas would be on most people’s list for comeback player of the year in the NHL. With his sick stats so far this season, it’s without question a one-man race.

Quietly though in Calgary, Alex Tanguay is re-establishing himself as a top player with an amazing sense for the game. Clever is a word I like to use when trying to describe his understanding of how hockey should be played.

I’ve long maintained only certain people can play successfully on a line with Tanguay. The reason? You always have to be prepared for a pass and usually one that’s directly on the tape of your stick, not in your feet or two feet behind you.

Players who don’t compute the game as quickly as Tanguay often end up getting a pass on their stick, but end up doing nothing constructive with it because they were unaware that he could find them with the puck.

I had the opportunity to be a guest with Rob Kerr on Calgary’s FAN 960 radio on Friday night. We talked all things Lightning, including the continued success of Steven Stamkos, the current injury status of several key Bolts, their overall solid start to the season and where I see them going from this point forward. You can check out the entire segment here (split into two parts) or can download the audio files after the jump.

Raise a glass to the top performers of last night’s NHL action. It’s the latest edition of JJ’s Three Cheers:

***Cheers to Calgary’s Brendan Morrison, who potted a pair of goals in a 5-4 shootout decision over Edmonton for the 6-3-0 Flames. With their play of late, Calgary is doing all they can to make me look bad after my unflattering opinion as to how they’d fare this season. Morrison struck in the first on the power play and added a shorthanded marker in the second period before the Oilers rallied to tie the game at 4-4. Twisting the knife in my back, none other than Alex Tanguay’s shootout goal was the deciding factor, sending the home crowd to the exits happy.

Before a single tweak to the roster, the Tampa Bay Lightning were already poised for improvement in 2010-11. With the tumultuous era of previous ownership already behind them when the sale of the team to Jeff Vinik was completed late last season, gone in an instant were any and all off-ice concerns and the circus went back to being an annual visitor to the St. Pete Times Forum rather than a permanent resident. With the appointment of Steve Yzerman as general manager, credibility returned to the franchise and new head coach Guy Boucher was widely regarded as the hottest commodity on the off-season coaching market.

Without a solitary player move, hockey life in Tampa was good again.

But far be it from Yzerman to rest on the comfort that fans surely feel by him simply not being one of those other guys. The addition of former Flyers forward Simon Gagne headlines a list of shrewd off-season maneuvers for the rookie GM and the revamped roster could very well translate to the sort of on-ice success that will make Lightning followers quickly forgot about three non-playoff seasons gone by.

In the NHL, anyone can have a bad season. It happens to journeymen and it happens to the league’s stars – a year when every puck seems to bounce the wrong way, or where every little nagging injury develops into something more. The accumulated effect of such a year on a player can occasionally force some needed introspection. The smart ones go home, crawl under a rock, heal, train harder and prove – to the world – that an off year is just that, a blip on an otherwise successful career trajectory.

Now, two bad years in a row, that’s a different story. Two bad years in a row suggest there may be some erosion in his overall game and that the talent once present is slipping away.

This then is the situation facing Alex Tanguay, one of two new/old players recruited by the Calgary Flames in the off-season.

Flames fans can dream all they want about the return of Marc Savard to answer the club’s playmaking needs.

However, the odds are infinitely better another former Flame will be recalled on Canada Day: Alex Tanguay.

While some may be sickened at the thought the former castoff may return as the team’s biggest off-season acquisition, the man whose stock has made like BP’s ever since he asked for a trade out of Cowtown is likely the best fit out there for the cash-strapped club.

One — that Flames general manager Darryl Sutter, still so in love with his core, won’t rock a blockbuster in the coming weeks. So no Vinny Lecavalier. No Nathan Horton. No Jeff Carter. No Eric Staal.

Two — that Alex Tanguay would return to a team that he, well, couldn’t wait to leave.

OK now, here’s the thing: the Flames are dying for a top-six forward.

Without playing big-ball—and wheeling away one of the cornerstone heroes — Sutter’s options are limited. Tanguay may be one. This is a fellow playing for a reasonable contract (one year worth $2.5 million US — more than half done, of course) with a healthy dash of skill.

After spending a majority of the offseason upgrading his team’s defense, Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Brian Lawton went on the offensive Tuesday with the signing of veteran left wing Alex Tanguay.

The deal was confirmed only after Tanguay’s completing a physical Tuesday. The rumor of his signing with Tampa Bay began to spread Saturday.

Tanguay, who was in town Monday looking for houses (I guess everyone is sure he’s going to pass this physical) also said he is “hungry” to start next season.

“I have a lot to prove, for sure,” he said. “That’s why I took this opportunity. It’s a very good opportunity for me to get back to the level I’m capable of.”

What else is on Tanguay’s mind? He took some time from house-hunting to give us some insight.

Why the Lightning? “We looked at many different options, and I looked at this team and the opportunity I’m going to be given here, it’s a good opportunity for me to help the team and help myself and get back to the level of which I want to play. ... When you look at Vinny and Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone, and the rest of the team, I’m excited….”

from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes at the St. Petersburg Times,

The agent for free-agent wing Alex Tanguay said his client will sign a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning after he passes a physical that will occur in Tampa on Monday or Tuesday….

Lecavalier, who played with Tanguay for Canada at the 1998 world junior championship, said he spoke to Tanguay twice, including Friday night.

“He asked me about Tampa and I told him about coming to the tam and the direction it is going,” Lecavalier said, and added, “Anybody that plays with a guy like Tanguay, he’s such a great passer and can score. He brings a lot to the team, so I’m excited.”

RDS (translated) is reporting Tanguay has agreed to a 1yr. contract with Tampa Bay.

added 9:20pm, Meanwhile…

from Michael Russo of the Star Tribune,

The Wild continues to wait patiently for free-agent winger Alex Tanguay to make a decision on his future.

While sources say the Wild hasn’t budged on a one-year, $2.5 million offer—the max it can legitimately offer the playmaker and still be comfortably under the $56.8 million salary cap ceiling—the Wild has continued to talk to both Tanguay and his agent….

The biggest obstacle for the Wild is Tampa Bay. If Tanguay signs with the Lightning, he has been told he would play alongside star center Vincent Lecavalier, which could be too good an opportunity to pass up.

The Lightning offered Tanguay a one-year, $2 million deal, sources said. But since the Lightning has more salary-cap room than Minnesota, Tanguay’s stall tactics could be a way of trying to get the Lightning to come up in price as training camp approaches.

It’s not the worst thing in the world for one’s career to play with Lecavalier, especially when you are trying to revive your career, which both Tanguay and Sykora have to do. Much of the talk the past few weeks is about how much Tanguay would help the Lightning. But I say Sykora, who has 53 goals, including 28 on the power play the past two seasons for the Penguins, offers more. And he has more to prove after his playoff flop, though he also had a second-degree shoulder separation.

The Lightning was able to rid itself of $6 million in payroll the next two seasons by trading disappointing right wing Radim Vrbata to the Coyotes, the team he left to sign with the Lightning as a free agent. The names of the two players coming back were not immediately available.

added 4:49pm, Regarding the trade, the Lightning get Todd Fedoruk and David Hale in return.

If the Lightning can convince Tanguay it would be in his best interest to try and build his resume back up by playing on a line with Lecavalier for a season (or two) it would be the icing on the cake of what has already been a successful summer.

It’s nothing definite at this point, as Tanguay’s agent said his client is in discussions with several teams, but it is definitely an intriguing thought for the team, the player and Lightning fans alike.

Reports by RDS.ca and Hockeybuzz.com that free agent winger Alex Tanguay has signed with the Panthers apparently are not true.

Panthers’ assistant general manager Randy Sexton just said through a team spokesman (4:20 p.m.) that reports the Panthers have signed Tanguay are ‘false.’ I’ve left a message for Tanguay’s agent. Waiting to hear back.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Word from the Panthers is the latest Alex Tanguay rumors regarding his signing with the team are false. But Florida is one of the teams the talented left winger is considering, so as always, stay tuned. I’m northbound and down, 10-4 good buddy…

added 4:56pm, Just to clear up the RDS mention from Steve Gorten, it was reported on one of their forums, not by RDS staff.

I finally was able to get a hold of free-agent winger Alex Tanguay’s agent today for a few minutes on the phone.

Tanguay’s agent, Robert Sauve, said the Panthers are one of five or six teams he’s talking with that Tanguay is considering signing with.

“They’re one of the teams we’ve talked to, but that’s about all I can say,” Sauve said. He added that he’s received “a few offers,” but wouldn’t say whether the Panthers have made an offer.

“We’re still looking at everything, trying to find the best situation for him,” Sauve said. “We’re going to take a little more time. We have a feeling we’re close with some teams, but we don’t know how much time it’s going to take to finalize.”

“We’re talking to several teams,” Tanguay’s veteran agent, former NHL goalie Bob Sauve, told ESPN.com in French on Friday. “Lots of teams have expressed interest. We’ve had a few offers, but not yet something that we want to firm up.

“We’re going to take our time,” added Sauve. “We’re going to wait, not only in terms of money, but also in terms of fit.”

Sauve also confirmed the Canadiens were out of the picture. GM Bob Gainey filled up his high-end forward spots with Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri.

“We never heard back from the Canadiens,” Sauve said. “Bob told us if we were going to talk again, it would probably be after July 1. Since then, we haven’t heard from them, so we moved on.”

New York (December 2, 2008) – Responding to the daunting challenge issued by the devoted fans of the Montreal Canadiens, the citizens of Pittsburgh and Penguins fans around the world are proving just how passionate they are about their heroes.

Pens forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the top two scorers in the NHL, have closed the gap considerably on the front-running Montreal threesome of Alexei Kovalev, Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay in fan balloting to select the starting lineups for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal Jan. 25.

As of 7 a.m. ET today, Crosby had received 320,373 votes in XM NHL® All-Star Fan Balloting presented by 2K Sports. With polls still open for another month, that moved Crosby within 65,000 votes of claiming one of the three starting spots up front for the Eastern Conference.

Darryl Sutter was asked by Elliotte Friedman on HNIC if Alex Tanguay has agreed to waive his NTC. Suter said Tanguay has not asked him about NTC/trade but if they did trade him, it would have to be for a significant return, since he feels he is one of the top left wingers in the game.

“As a player, we all have our pride, and all have a certain way we want to play and a certain way we expect ourselves to play. It’s certainly not going all that great for me, but what can I do about it. I’ve just got to worry about the next game, and, hopefully, be better tomorrow.”

Heading into tonight’s clash with the Phoenix Coyotes, Tanguay has collected 10 goals and 33 points in 40 games. It’s behind the pace he’s set in recent campaigns, but that’s just the beginning of the cloud hovering over him.

While Kristian Huselius has flourished in the top-line left-winger—earning the NHL’s second star of the week honours with yet another prolific spell—Tanguay has been demoted to the second unit.

Compound it with the fact he’s not on the top powerplay unit, and Tanguay’s offensive totals have taken a hit.

Tanguay yesterday found himself having to discuss a report on the French-language station RDS that said the Flames might be considering a deal with the Montreal Canadiens that would bring Alexei Kovalev to the Stampede City. Kovalev won a Stanley Cup with Keenan in New York.

Tanguay said he had no intentions on following it.

“I’m not planning on wasting any time on that at all,” he said. “I’m here with the Flames, and I think when they brought me here they wanted me to help the team, and as far as I know, it’s still the plan.”

more, plus Spector covers this in greater detail and has some more signing and trade talk too…